Fairly often occurs a need to cover, temporarily or permanently, a ground with flooring, either to protect it or to provide a hard walk- or carriageway, for cultural events, on fairgrounds or construction sets. Building projects require temporary access roads and walkways. Elements used for such flooring purposes are most often made of plastics. User requirements include simple construction, low weight, simple and fast application and removal, easy transportation and storage combined with low production costs. Good adhesion to the base, high stability and mechanical properties are expected. In the state of the art, several concepts of surfacing elements for temporary walkways, roads and yards are known.
European patent EP 0 621 373 describes a ground covering, intended as a walk-on traffic surface area. The ground covering comprises coupled together hexagonal panels being provided on their sides with alternate hook protrusions and eyelet protrusions, interlocking after assembly. Mating surfaces of the connecting protrusions are rounded towards each other, allowing pivoting movement of the protrusions. Between adjacent sides of connected panels is a certain clearance. Each panel is designed as a thick-wall membrane with an anti-slip pattern on the upper surface. Such panels, however, cannot be applied on uneven, angled or muddy base, for example construction sites, since uneven loads may cause disconnecting of the joints and destruction of the floor.
French patent FR 2559177 describes standard hexagonal plate having edge hooks and eye-loops connection, for interlocking with others in a ground covering, such as emergency roadway. Underside of the plate comprises channels, which form diverging reinforcing ribs running out from the central point of the plate. Adjacent reinforcing ribs are connected together by a crack-preventive rib. The plate is made of aluminium-silicon alloy.
German patent DE 196 40 128 describes a floor lining comprising a rectangular plate with four sides of reduced thickness. The four sides are formed so as to be connected with neighbouring plates by a groove and tongue connection. Two opposite sides of the plate comprising the groove and the tongue, respectively, are provided with blind openings which form, together with fastening plugs, fixing elements, preventing lateral displacement of the plates. The floor lining is made of plastic material.
German utility model DE 94 07 901 describes a hexagonal paving panel being provided on their sides with alternate hook protrusions, interlocking after assembly. The panel comprises blind openings and pins with anti-slip heads being placed in the openings. Underside of the panel comprises reinforcing ribs.
Although described above panels are well adopted to certain applications, like industrial or emergency purposes, they can not be applied on uneven, angled or muddy base. Some of these constructions may cause difficulties during mounting and de-mounting or have insufficient mechanical properties or can be expensive in production.
German patent DE 41 43 419 relates to plastic hexagonal trays to form a patterned grass surface. Each tray has T-shaped hooks and cutouts, interlocking with adjacent plates as well as a large central opening. Between connected elements are provided gaps to drain off surface water.
Canadian patent CA 2 091 036 concerns triangular, rectangular and hexagonal surface elements, consisting of cores filled with wood chips, saw dust, foam or other loose material, enclosed in outer cover of thermoplastic or thermoset material. In particular the cover may be formed of glass-reinforced synthetic resin. The surface elements are designed for application on sands and feature downwardly extending flanges on their peripheries.
A modular roll-out portable floor and walkway comprising a plurality of interconnected covering panels of a lightweight plastic is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,386 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,128. Each panel is rectangular and comprises two downwardly extending connecting elements and two upwardly extending connecting elements. The panels comprise water drainage channels or drain holes. Downwardly extending connecting elements of each panel have oblong grooves to serve as hinges permitting rolling interconnected panels up. Upper surfaces are provided with an anti-slip pattern.
Japanese patent JP 9296408 describes a rectangular synthetic resin surface panel intended particularly to be applied on a soft or muddy base. Longer sides of each panel have downwardly and upwardly extending connecting hooks, while shorter sides have flat protrusions and corresponding flat cut outs, respectively. Longer sides of each panel are also provided with vertical protuberances and corresponding recesses, respectively. Each panel has drain holes.
European patent EP 0 224 095 concerns a grid plate of plastic material to be applied in particular on grass covered ground in packing lots and on embankments. Each plate features on at least one side, close to its upper surface, upwardly extending small hooks mating with downwardly extending small hooks arranged on the other side. Each plate has a large central opening to pass growing grass through.
Concrete hexagonal elements for roads surfaces are known from Polish patents PL 52 531 and PL 113473.
The aim of the invention is to provide a hexagonal paving panel which would feature simple design and be inexpensive in production, easy to store and transport, pose and remove. On the other hand, it should provide good adhesion to various bases, sufficiently high mechanical properties and wide application scope, ranging from pedestrian walkways to motor transport surfaces.